Tag

#hush-money

3 incidents

Updated May 30, 2024 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Stormy Daniels Hush Money: Campaign Finance Felony and Directed Fraud

The $130,000 payment to Daniels was made by Cohen 11 days before the 2016 election to prevent her account from influencing voters. Trump reimbursed Cohen through Trump Organization checks falsely described as payments for legal services. The Manhattan DA's office prosecuted Trump for the falsification of business records; a jury of 12 New Yorkers convicted Trump on all 34 counts on May 30, 2024. Trump was the first sitting or former U.S. president convicted of criminal offenses.

Sources
4
Stormy-Danielshush-moneycampaign-financefelony-convictionpre-presidency
Updated September 18, 2024 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Major Abuse of Power

Hush Money: 34 Felony Counts for Falsifying Business Records — Found Guilty

The prosecution established that Trump directed Michael Cohen to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 eleven days before the 2016 election. Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of false invoices and checks falsely recorded as 'legal expenses' — the 34 counts all arose from these falsified records. The Manhattan DA alleged the falsification was done to conceal the underlying crime of election fraud (influencing an election through unlawful means). The case also documented the AMI/National Enquirer arrangement in which the tabloid bought and suppressed stories from McDougal and others — the 'catch and kill' scheme. Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge on September 18, 2024, but the conviction remained on record.

Sources
4
hush-moneyconvictionStormy-DanielsCohenpost-presidency
Updated December 12, 2018 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Major Abuse of Power

Michael Cohen's Crimes Done at Trump's Direction: Tax Fraud, Bank Fraud, Campaign Finance

Cohen's guilty plea was not just his own conviction — it was Trump's implication. Cohen stated in federal court that the campaign finance crimes (the Daniels and McDougal payments) were committed 'in coordination with and at the direction of' a candidate for federal office. The federal prosecutors who accepted his plea treated Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator. Cohen served three years in federal prison; Trump, protected by the OLC no-indictment policy, was not indicted federally until after leaving office.

Sources
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Michael-Cohencampaign-financetax-fraudbank-fraudpre-presidency